The Whitefish Lady Bulldog softball team kicked off their 2009 campaign under less-than-ideal conditions on Friday.

The 'Dogs hosted Libby in the cold, wind and mud, falling 7-17 to last year's state champions.

Hailey Mortensen had a big day for the Lady Bulldogs, scoring two doubles, the first of which sent Heather Bailey across home plate in the third inning.

Shannon Holmes went 2-for-3 and had two RBIs. Nicole Schelling and Adele FauntLeRoy each had hits for Whitefish.

Carolyn Sharpe and Mortensen were on the mound for the Lady Bulldogs, and Sharpe took the loss.

The low point in the contest came in the first inning when senior Whitefish starting right-fielder Taylor Ybarra-Brunty had to be taken to the hospital after a fly ball, drifting in the wind, hit her in the face.

She suffered a broken cheekbone and will be out indefinitely. Ybarra-Brunty was one of only four returning seniors for the Lady 'Dogs, so the team will have to rely on the younger girls to step up.

"I think the other girls did a great job of showing that they were mentally prepared after (the injury to their friend)," head coach Alan Compton said. "We're going to have to change some positions around now. Some kids are going to have to step up."

The Lady Bulldogs have had little time to practice outdoors due to inclement weather and recent heavy snowfall. Friday's game was a good opportunity to knock some of the rust off from winter, and the team showed promise both in their enthusiasm and basic technique, according to Compton.

"I think they did great against Libby, considering what happened," he said. "We scored seven runs in three innings after that, so we'll just build on that."

Whitefish is off until April 14, when it hosts Columbia Falls at 6 p.m. at Smith Fields.

"Columbia Falls is returning six seniors, so they'll be tough," Compton said. "I think they'll be one of the serious contenders this year. Tuesday's game is going to be tough."

Libby 652 31 - 17 15 1

Whitefish 003 22 - 7 7 6

Pitching: Carolyn Sharpe and Hailey Mortensen. L — Sharpe, 0-1.

Whitefish — Adele FauntLeRoy 1-3, Madisen Cross 0-1, Kaitlyn Wehrli 0-1, Heather Bailey 1-2, Hailey Mortensen 2-3, Sharpe 0-2, Kristi Whisler 0-1, Shannon Holmes 2-3, Madison Tveidt 0-2, Nicole Schelling 1-3.

FauntLeRoy, Mortensen (2), Holmes; Mortensen, Holmes (2), Schelling (2).